Published on Monday, 12 May 2025 at 2:00:00 PM
Victoria Park Council has officially renamed the historic Edward Millen House and Park to honour Elizabeth Baillie, a pioneering midwife who built Western Australia’s first maternity hospital on the site in 1912.
“Council is proud to rename this precinct in honour of Elizabeth Baillie’s lasting contribution to community health and care,” said Mayor Karen Vernon. “This is a meaningful way for us to recognise Elizabeth’s extraordinary achievements as part of the Town’s rich local history.”
Originally from Scotland, Baillie trained in Melbourne and was among the first midwives officially registered in Western Australia. Baillie purchased the land on Albany Highway, East Victoria Park for 650 pounds to build a private maternity hospital. In 1912, the Rotunda Maternity Hospital opened, providing women with a safe and professional alternative to home births – a rare offering at the time.
The Rotunda Maternity Hospital operated until 1919, when the Spanish Flu pandemic saw it repurposed by the WA Government. The Commonwealth acquired the hospital in 1920 as a repatriation home for returning soldiers from World War 1 and renamed it Edward Millen House, after Australia’s first Minister for Repatriation, in 1924.
Edward Millen House continued to be used for various health services until its permanent closure in 1995. The building was State heritage listed in 1999, before the WA Government gifted the House and Park to the Town of Victoria Park in 2006. Now bearing its original founder’s name, the Elizabeth Baillie Precinct is currently being redeveloped by the Town to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable destination for the local community and visitors alike.
Works to restore Elizabeth Baillie House are being undertaken by Blackoak Capital Ventures with support from the Australian Government and the Town to breathe new life into the heritage buildings through the delivery of a range of hospitality and community facilities including a bistro, café, micro-brewery, bakery, community marketspace, museum/gallery space, heirloom gardens, childcare centre, and more.
At the same time, the Town is upgrading the surrounding 4.7-hectare Elizabeth Baillie Park with the support of Lotterywest. The upgrade will feature new amenities with a strong focus on accessibility, including an outdoor amphitheatre, children’s all abilities playground, enhanced urban forest, carparking and public change facilities. New signage for Elizabeth Baillie House and Park will be installed on completion.
Construction to deliver the redevelopment project began in late 2024 and is on track for completion by the end of 2025. Keep an eye out on the Town’s channels for the opening event expected in late 2025 or early 2026.
More information
Elizabeth Baillie Redevelopment Project
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